World Cup 2014

Hello all,

Tomorrow kicks off a historic event for Brazil, the 2014 World Cup! Many of you have been asking me questions about it, so I thought I would share some thoughts about things so far. For those of you who are not very familiar with the World Cup, here are a few facts:

• The World Cup is an international soccer tournament that takes place every 4 years, like the olympics.
• It is a competition between the national teams of each country that qualify.
• Each country's national team is made up of the best players from that country. These players are often playing professionally elsewhere in the world, but return to play for their home country in World Cup competition.
• Countries qualify during a series of international matches in the 2 years leading up to the World Cup.
• The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world!
• Brazil has won the world cup more than any other country. (5 times)

Soccer is, for all practical purposes, the only sport played in Brazil. Everyone grows up playing it, and everyone watches it. All other sports pale in comparison in participation and interest. So you can imagine the excitement when the country was chosen in 2007 to host this years' World Cup.

However, on the eve of the opening match of the Cup, the soccer-crazed is full of mixed emotions. People are still excited about the cup, and Brazil's chances to win, but their excitement is tempered by all of the financial, political, and social issues it has brought to light. You may have seen news reports of the massive cost overruns, uncompleted infrastructure projects, and protests. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few weeks as the tournament is played and the eyes of the world are on Brazil. My hope and prayer is that all of these events will bring about positive changes that are badly needed in Brazil.

On a lighter note, I am very excited about the next few weeks. The entire country will be in a sort of holiday mode, and people everywhere will be watching the games together. I will be cheering for Brazil with all my friends here, and of course the US team! I was fortunate enough to get tickets for 2 matches, one between England and Costa Rica, and one for the playoffs later in the tournament. (teams to be determined later)

In closing, I leave you with a video of the US National Team's journey to the World Cup. Our chances to do well are slim; we have arguably the toughest draw in the tournament. But we have a great coach and possibly our best team ever, so anything could happen! Go USA!



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Written by one of our staff in Brazil:

Lee Cunningham




US Soccer: We Are Going To Brazil